Communist Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm is expected to visit China next week at the invitation of Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping.
Following the timeline: According to an April 9 announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tô Lâm, accompanied by his spouse Ngô Phương Ly and a high-level delegation, will conduct a state-level visit to China from April 14 to April 17.
What remains unclear: Detailed information about the visit’s agenda or potential cooperation agreements has not yet been released.
- Reuters reported that the two sides may sign agreements related to telecommunications infrastructure.
- There is no indication whether disputes in the South China Sea will be discussed.
Related context: China is currently Việt Nam’s largest trading partner, while Việt Nam is China’s largest trading partner within ASEAN.
- Recently, the two nations have expanded cooperation across multiple sectors, including border economic zones, railway projects, and the application of Chinese technology for 5G network deployment in Việt Nam.
- However, the signing of additional contracts between some Vietnamese telecommunications companies and Chinese equipment suppliers has raised concerns among certain foreign investors regarding data security and safety.
Tradition: It is customary for Việt Nam’s top leaders to visit neighboring countries like China, Laos, and Cambodia shortly after taking office.
- Following his election as General Secretary on Aug. 3, 2024, Tô Lâm visited China just 15 days later, from Aug. 18 to Aug. 20, 2024
- General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng was elected on Jan. 19, 2011, and nearly nine months later made an official friendly visit to China from Oct. 11 to Oct. 15, 2011.
Thạch Hãn wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on April 10, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights of the English translation.
